Emergency services mounted a large-scale operation at a canal in Wolverhampton on Sunday night following urgent reports of a potential person in the water.
Swift Emergency Response Launched
The incident unfolded on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at the canal on Bentley Bridge Way in Wednesfield. Authorities were alerted to concerns for safety around 8.10pm, prompting a rapid multi-agency response. Police, firefighters, and paramedics all raced to the scene to coordinate the search and rescue effort.
Extensive Search with Specialist Equipment
West Midlands Fire Service mobilised significant resources to the location. Crews from Fallings Park and Willenhall fire stations were dispatched, alongside the technical rescue unit based in Wednesbury. The first fire engine arrived at the scene a mere four minutes after being mobilised.
Firefighters conducted a thorough search of the waterway using an array of specialist tools, including:
- A raft for surface search.
- Sonar equipment to scan the canal bed.
- Underwater and thermal imaging cameras.
This intensive search was carried out in collaboration with ambulance and police colleagues scouring the area. Despite these extensive efforts, no casualties were found in the water. All fire service resources were withdrawn from the scene by 10.35pm that evening.
Police Continue Investigations
While the initial emergency response was stood down on Sunday night, the operation was not completely over. West Midlands Police confirmed that crews returned to the Bentley Bridge area on the morning of Monday, January 5 to conduct further searches and ensure no one remained unaccounted for.
The incident occurred during a spell of brutally cold weather across the West Midlands region. In a related note on the freezing conditions, local police reported that several motorists in the nearby Bilston area had been found leaving their vehicles running and unattended to defrost on that same icy Monday morning.
